The Environmental Food Crisis

Share of crop production increases 1961-1999 Projected sources of increases 1997/99-2030 0 25 50 75 100% 0 25 50 75 100%

All developing countries

South Asia

East Asia

Near East/North Africa Latin America and the Caribbean

Sub-Saharan Africa

World Rainfed crop production all developing countries Irrigated crop production all developing countries

Yield increases

Arable land expansion

Increased cropping intensity

Figure 9: Increase in crop production has mainly been a function of increases in yield due to increased irrigation and fertilizer use. However, this may change in the future towards more reliance on cropland expansion, at the cost of biodiversity. (Source: FAO, 2006).

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